Today after a lecture at the University we ventured across town to the Central Museum of Textiles. I know that is a gripping headline but stay with us. The Museum held exhibitions in fashion, textiles, and machines of the industrial revolution. Łódź initially benefited greatly with inventions like the steam engine, printing press, water frame, power loom, and the Spinning Jenny. With an abundance of access to rivers Łódź had its power source to industrialize. The city quickly grew from 13,000 inhabitants in 1840 to over 500,000 by 1913.
The textile industry would remain in Łódź following the Great Depression, WWI, WWII, and even communist occupation. With the fall of communism in 1989 more than 100,000 people lost their jobs and the textile industry in Łódź was effectively dead. With the spread of globalization there was no way for new factories to come in and compete. With no new industry coming in many of the factories began to deteriorate until 2010.
While controversial in 2010 redevelopment of vacant factories began. Most notably the Poznański Factory.
this factory was converted into a expansive 260 store shopping centre known as Manufaktura.
We are staying at the Vienna House Hotel in Łódź which is located in the Manufaktura. https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/vienna-house/lodz-poland/vienna-house-andels-lodz/overview
We have had an incredible stay thus far in Łódź and have loved learning more about how the city continues to reinvent itself. Łódź is an outlier of Polish cities and even European cities. We are excited to see how Łódź continues to evolve as they invest in AI/ tech industries but interestingly continue to be a producer of white goods. White goods are products like refrigerators, ranges, washer, dryers, and other large home products.
Łódź will make a interesting case study for our students to study this upcoming year partially because it will connect various outcomes and effects of history and interconnect them into present day Łódź. Students can learn about the industrial revolution through Łódź and how certain inventions increased production dramatically and caused a dramatic change in life. Łódź can also be used as reoccurring city we use to study Ohio World History on a more micro scale. Students higher depth of knowledge levels will be engaged and challenged seeing how Łódź was effected by the Industrial Revolution, examples of resistance Łódź resistance and occupation during the World Wars. Lastly, what life was like in Łódź under communism, the fall of communism, and the rise of globalization. Throughout analyzing Łódź students can see what Łódź is like present day and how these events have effected the city.